Hand operated knitting machine



June 10,, 1958 E. LUCHSINGER 2,837,903

HAND OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1955 [NI/EN TOR 1597252 A zla/isi/gqefi a I HAND OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Ernst Luchsinger, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Fibra This application is a continuation-in-part of Serial No. 406,508, filed January 27, 1954. v

The present invention relates to hand operated knitting machines and more particularly to hand operated knitting machines of the type, wherein movable latch-needles are operated by means of a slidable cam-box, the latch needles projecting in their forward position through the hooks of a stationary retaining comb angularly arranged with respect to the plane of the needle bed, in which the needles are guided.

1n knitting machines of this type, it is of importance to ensure that at least during a certain period of each work sequence a tension is imposed on the fabric, so that the stitches being suspended on the latch-needles may glide over the closed needle hooks in order to cast-olfthe zigzag loops and to form a new row of stitches, the new stitches arriving behind the opened latches of the needles.

it is an object of the present inventionto provide a hand operated knitting machine, which comprises guide means co-operating with the stationary retaining comb in order to guide the old stitches retained by the retaining comb during the movement of the new stitches behind the latches of the movable needles and to: subsequently pull the old stitches downwardly at the retaining comb.

while subjecting the fabric to a certain tension.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of guide means in a hand operated knitting machine which are arranged for longitudinal movement along the retaining comb and in co-operation therewith, the arrangement being such that said guide means may be moved together with ,the cam-box operating the latch needles. Y

A still further object of the invention is to provide guide means which are connected to the cam-box for movement therewith in order to co-ordinate the movement of guide face with the forward and backward movement of the latch needles, so as to permit free drawingout movement of the working yarn to form zig-zag loops.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of guide means, which are adapted to resiliently co-operate with the retaining comb, the guide means being secured over springs toa carrying member connected with the cam-box by at least one bracket member.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the appended claims, in which the novel features considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular. I

In order that the invention may be better understood and put into practice two embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of the knitting machine having a cam-box, the holding-member for the guide means being-shown in a broken-away view,

Fig. 2 shows a plan view with respect to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section along line III-III in Fig. 1.

United States Patent() respect to the support 1 and secured to the latter.

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary section along line IV-IV in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 shows a fragmentary section along line V-V in Fig. 1,

Figs. 6 to 9 are schematic representations in side view to demonstrate the operation of the knitting machine and the guide means, and

Fig. 10 shows a plan view of an embodiment having detail modifications.

The hand operated knitting machine comprises an oblong support having a needle bed 1, on which the cam box 2 is slidably arranged. Upon movement of the cam box 2 latch needles 3 guided in the needle bed 1 are moved forwards and backwards between the fixed teeth of a retaining comb 4 being angularly arranged with The cam box 2 is provided with a handle 2a. Further the cam-box has two brackets 5, at both of its face sides, the brackets being connected to one end each of a holding plate 17 (shown in Fig. l in a broken-away view). This holding plate 17 extends parallel to and distanced from one longitudinal side of the cam box 2. The holding plate 17 is provided with a plate member 18 and two jaws 6 and 7, the latter having each a guide face 13 the parts 18, 6 and 7 forming together the guide means. The plate member forms in the middle of its, one longitudinal side which is directed towards the retaining comb 4, a recessed portion 19 (cf. also Fig. 5). The described parts are secured to the holding plate 17 by means of suitable connecting members (not shown), said connecting members holding these parts at an appropriate working height, the plate member 18 being situated in the line of intersection of the plane of the needles and the retaining comb i. e. substantially in the height of the plane of the needle bed. Springs 9 and 20, respectively, tend to move the jaws 6 and 7 and the plate member 18, respectively, towards the retaining comb. The two jaws 6 and 7 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the recessed portion 19 in the plate member 18.

The described knitting machine operates as follows:'

The fabric A (Fig. 6) is suspended from the latch needles 3 with its last formed row of stitches B. The working yarn C is laid onto the projected needles 3 in a path defined on the one side by the needle hooks .10 and on the other side by the fixed retaining comb 4. Upon movement of the cam box in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 2, i. e. in the direction in which the yarn C is laid out, the plate member 18 slides along the retaining comb 4 immediately below the plane of the needles. Due to the inclined position of the retaining comb on the one hand and on the other'hand the tendency of the fabric A to take up a position, which forms the shortest connection between each needle 3 and the retaining comb 4, the last-formed stitch B is moved into such a position at the retaining comb 4, in which the lower part of said stitch is situated below the path of movement of the needle 3 i. e. below the plane of the needle bed. The plate member 18. comes into contact with each stitch above the lower end thereof and tends to move the last formed row of stitches downwardly along the retaining comb 4 as shown in Fig. 7, the stitches being then held in this lower position in co-operation with the jaw 6, whereby the fabric A is secured accordingly at the retaining comb 4. The plate member 18 is held in contact with theretaining comb 4 at its front longitudinal side, so that each singlestitch ofthe last knitted row. of stitches B is engaged by this :plate. mentber. When the working needles are moved backwards again, one after the other due to movement of the cam box 2, the yarn C is formed into zig-zag loops D as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8. When the formation of the DA. A

yarn in the range-of loop-formation at the retaining comb, such that the zig-zag loops D may be drawn out without hindrance at the retaining comb 4 and slide down at the latter to take up a lower position due to their elasticity.

Upon further movement of the cam box in the indicated direction the trailing jaw 7 will come into contact with the cast-off stitch D above the lower end thereof together with the edge portion of the plate member 18. Thus the newly knitted stitch B will be moved downwardly at the retaining comb 4 together with the loop released by the needle 3. This is indicated in Fig. 9. The plate member prevents upward movement of the stitches at the retaining comb while the needles 3 are moved forward again due to movement of the cam box. Due to the downward movement of the stitches B and D by means of the plate member 18 with which stitches the jaw 7 comes into contact. The stitches are prevented from getting into contact with the needles 3 by upward and forward movement of the latter and from slipping over the needle hooks it At the same time each newly formed stitch will be tensioned' due to its downward movement along the retaining comb 4, which is opposite to the forward movement of the needles 3. Thereby the latches 11 are opened as shown in Figs. stitches B will slide over said latches and come into a position of rest behind the opened latches so that a new operating sequence may be started.

Upon continuation of the work the yarn will be laid out in the opposite direction with respect to the previous operating sequence, thus repeating the whole sequence of the knitting work by movement of the cam-box due to the symmetric configuration of the plate member 18 in the described manner.

In order to ensure regularity in the formation of the stitches, especially when producing non-patterned fabrics, it may be advantageous to vary the spring tension of the jaws 6 and 7 acting at the fabric by means of their guide faces 13, in order to prevent irregularities which are inherent to each spring characteristic. It is sulficient to secure the stitches only by means of the plate member 18, the resilient arrangement of which has no adverse effects upon the regularity of the formation of the, stitches since this plate member is active above the last-formed row of stitches and co-acts directly with the retaining comb 4, so that upward movement of the stitches at the retaining comb will be prevented; this measure has proved adequate when fabrics having nonpatterned surfaces are produced.

In order to conveniently vary the spring tension of the jaws 6 and 7, their two springs are replaced in the embodiment according to Fig. by one single spring 21, which is centrally arranged. This spring 21 connected with the holding plate 17 by means of a bolt 22 co-operates with a balance frame 23. The jaws'd and 7 are arranged at plates 24 and 25, respectively, which are pivotally supported on bolts 24a and 25a, respectively. The plates 24 and 25, each carry a pin 26 and 27, respectively, which two bolts project into hemispherical openirigs 23a and 23b in the balance frame 23. The latter is arranged such that when a corresponding pressure is exerted upon the jaw 6, the latter will be pivoted about the bolt 24a due to the bolt 26, being moved against the action of the spring 21 and the balance frame 23 being consequently inclined. Thereby the jaw 7 will be moved over the bolt 27 in a direction opposite to the movement of the jaw 6. When the jaws 6 and 7 move along the inclined retaining comb 4, Figs. 4 and 9, any difference in pressure upon the two jaws will be compensated, as will be clear from the above.

8 and 9 and the assmos The pressure of the spring 21 may be varied by providing a tapered member 28 which is slidably arranged at the holding plate 17 and-which may be adjusted by means of an actuating knob 29, which projects through a longitudinal slot in the holding plate. If the tapered member 28 is displaced by means of its actuating knob 25 such that its portion of increased thickness will be effective at the spring 21, the tension of the spring acting upon the balance frame 23 will be correspondingly increased. lf the tapered member is moved in a direction opposite to the previous one the tension of the spring 21 will be decreased accordingly until the spring will only effect a balancing action upon the frame 23. It will be understood, that the tension of the spring may also be varied in any other suitable manner, such as by means of a tensioning screw.

The resilient arrangement of the plate member 18 is independent of the spring for the jaws 6 and 7. The former will be pressed against the retaining comb 4 by means of its springs 20 with a constant pressure (Fig. 3).

I claim:

1. In a hand powered knitting machine, a stationary retainingcomb having parallel spaced teeth defining a plane inclined to the horizontal, a plurality of parallel spaced latch needles mounted for intersecting reciprocation through said comb, plate means supported adjacent said comb and movable therealong beneath the plane of said latch needles, first compression spring means urging said plate means bodily toward said comb such that a leading edge thereon yicldingly engages said comb substantially at the latters line of intersection with said latch eedles, the incline of said comb being such that as loops of yarn are cast from said latch needles they are normally engaged by said plates leading edge substantially at said line of intersection and held therebeneath for movement on said incline toward the base of said comb, a pair of jaw members pivotal on said plate means for independent movement and arranged to engage knitted fabric beneath said plates line of contact with said loops, second compression spring means common to both said jaw memers for resiliently urging the same to pivot in opposite rotational sense, said jaw member-s serving to engage and resiliently tension the fabric away from said plate means and latch needles, and means for adjusting the compressive force of said second spring means to accommodate variations in fabric thickness and to regulate the fabric tensioning activity of said jaw means.

2. A hand operated knitting machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said jaws are symmetrically arranged with respect to a recessed portion in said plate means, and guide faces formed on said jaws to press the knitted fabric against the said comb.

3. A hand operated knitting machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said jaws are pivoted individually adjacent opposite ends of said plate, and a balance frame member pivotally connected to the inner end of each of said jaws, said frame member being engaged by said second spring means.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plate is recessed along its said one leading edge to provide separated areas thereon for engaging said loops thereby to periodically release the yarn intermediate the ends of said plate to facilitate the formation of loops of yarn by the movement of said latch needles. 

